Dawn's Early Light
by temporary relief
Summary: A strange case. Mac and Stella receive some... interesting help along the way. Mac/Stella with cameos of the others... COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or Twilight. Pity.**

**Notes: Bit of a spoiler for all the Twilight series. I know I promised Touching the Void, but I can't control my muse. Respect the muse! Respect it! I really like the books, and I love NY so here you go. Like always, enjoy.**

**Thank you to lily moonlight for looking through and all her help! And thanks to Blue Shadowdancer for reading. I couldn't have posted this without them. **

**Dawn's Early Light**

**Chapter 1**

He got up in the early light. It wasn't rhythm as much as it was habit. From his Marine days. But today was different. He found a bounce in his step that was unnatural and abnormal. Just not Mac Taylor-like. It wasn't him as he pulled a shirt over his head. Or as he got the rest of himself ready for his morning run. He could only imagine Stella's comment to that. The 'some people call it a full night of sleep' comment was going to come sometime that day. He smiled at that thought.

The cool air circled around him, drawing invisible layers around him. Suffocating him in the freshness, unnatural to his urban surroundings. He passed by buildings, the glass windows reflecting his image as it stepped forward on the pavement. He looked into the alleys as he jogged past them. They stored a darkness in them that haunted his dreams some nights when he thought about the killers. What they did to their victims. The perverted monsters they were, hidden by identities. Hidden in their lives as if they didn't do what they did. Pretending that they weren't the sick people they were. And finally they couldn't hide their true selves any longer, and they snapped. They would kill someone or violate someone. That was when his team had to come in and piece together what happened so it wouldn't happen to someone else. So someone else wouldn't be haunted by those dark alleys.

But this one was different. He paused and turned, wishing he didn't see the sight that lay before him. He stepped forward, his curiosity winning over his common sense. He stopped, frozen in his tracks. A woman lay sprawled on the ground. Someone was kneeling over her. He couldn't see that person's face. He braved another step. The hidden figure's throat moved as if it was drinking something. _Blood? That's not possible._ Logic was trying to override the supernatural. "Hey!" He yelled. The figure looked up. The person was a woman. And Mac's breath was taken away. She was beautiful. Pale skin. Dark brown hair. Coal black eyes. But there was a hunger in them. At her mouth a dribble of red ran down. She stared at him; her ebony eyes narrowed, focusing on him. He didn't know what she was doing, but he saw a look in her eyes that scared him to his core. She looked like she was reading his mind and his very soul. Then images began to flash before him. Ones that he had no control over. He saw the towers fall. His wife gone just like that. Another image came into his field of vision. Stella. Dinner. Candlelight. A rose in a vase, the water halfway up the stem. The flickering candlelight danced on the reflection of the water in the vase. That vanished. Another image flashed before his eyes. One that he had never seen before came before him. He couldn't focus on it because it was unclear like it was the future, but it had to have happened to someone. Then excruciating pain erupted in his head. He fell to his knees, hoping the pain bursting from the center of his head would stop. The pounding in his head only increased. It was all he could focus on until he couldn't focus on anything. There were no thoughts. He was there on the ground, not moving.

_You simple minded man. _She had to get out of there before someone saw her. She fled as the sun shone on her. Her skin sparkled, and then there was no trace of her. Just two bodies on the ground. Ones heart still beating.

…………………………………………………………………….

"Mac!" she skidded to a stop next to him. He was sitting up on the ground the paramedics having checked him over and his statement already given. He couldn't believe what had happened. "What were you thinking?" He grinned. Classic Stella. "And what happened?"

"I already told that officer there. Did you bring my kit?"

"You aren't processing this scene, Mac Taylor," she smiled.

"Stella, I _am_ processing this scene. I'm here so I'm going to process the scene," he turned to see the officer smirking at the story he had given. It was the truth as he saw it. It was what _happened. _He couldn't explain who that lady was. A vampire? No, they didn't exist. Part of a cult. Probably. That was the most likely. Mac picked himself off of that alley, still dazed at what had happened. Stella offered him a hand up which he refused. He didn't mean it as a dig towards her pride, and she knew that. He was just a bit confused. Everything had happened so fast.

"I have the scene. Why don't you just go home? Take the day?"

"So did you bring my kit?" he persisted. She gave up and sighed heavily. Maybe even a bit dramatically.

"Yes, Mac, I did," she went on mumbling something about how she knew he would work the scene. At least he didn't play the boss card. Not that he would. Well, he wouldn't to her. She and he walked back to the CSI vehicle. "What happened?" He looked at her. She bit her lip. Why wasn't he telling her?

"It was just so… strange," he hesitated. He looked at the body of the woman. She lay there looking so peaceful. But her death. Mac heard a car come to a halt. It was the ME van. A young man and woman hopped out, ready to take the body. Officers had them wait. The CSIs weren't done yet. Actually they hadn't even started yet.

"Come on. You know I'll believe you," Stella reassured him. He glanced at her.

"I don't know who or what she was, but she just took my breath away," he started.

"That beautiful, Mac?" she asked. Whether the jealousy in her voice was real or mock, Mac never did find out.

"She was, but she didn't look, well, _human_," Mac answered cautiously. "She was pale. Just not naturally. And, Stell, if you don't think I'm crazy enough at this point, her teeth were like sharp looking."

"I don't think you're crazy. You might've just hit your head pretty hard," she thought out loud. Mac sighed. Of course, what he saw was crazy to anyone else. They knelt near the body.

"I didn't hit my head. I passed out," it was matter-of-fact talk.

"She couldn't have been _that _good looking."

"I saw things," he mumbled. He thought about the last image. It was becoming clearer as he focused on it. Little did he know that someone was watching him, the same someone who planted the image in the first place. She knelt down on top of a roof, watching her prey. She would strike soon, but for now she left her perch. It was too light. Her secret could be blown. She sped away. Her supernatural speed and strength kept her a blur to all who saw her.

……………………………………………………….

Not everyone in Forks was sleeping. But not everyone in Forks could sleep. Alice was lying down when she saw the vision. She was next to her husband, Jasper. She was looking into the future as she had done many times.

_The lights were out. They had no idea what they walked into. They were surrounded. What they were facing. Why were they in a pack? They didn't hunt in packs. Only the Cullens did that because they were vegetarians. _

"_I know what you are," the man called into the darkness. Air swirled around him and his partner. "What you did to that girl." An unnatural wind lifted the woman's hair. Then it stopped. "Get behind me." There was love in his eyes. He put his hand over hers, slightly pushing slightly guiding her behind him. He was trying to protect her against what they were facing. He had warned her not to come. That it was too dangerous. That they didn't know what they are up against. He didn't want to see her get hurt. What that would do to his conscience. He saw things flashed before his eyes again. The pain of losing his wife. The happiness that he has found when he's near his partner._

_She stepped closer to him. They didn't know what or who they were facing. Suddenly thoughts flashed before her eyes. Her childhood. Her foster parents. Her foster dad taking away her friend, her best friend. Then a new image came into her mind. She saw him lying on the ground, dead. A pain erupted so excruciating that it brought her to her knees. Then she found the pain too much and passed out. He kneeled next to her. _

_He took her hand. "Come on, get up." He was suddenly struck from behind. He collapsed, motionless on the ground. Their enemy drew closer, hungry and ready to feed._

"Jasper!" Alice sat up.

"What?" he asked groggily.

"I need to talk to Carlisle. Someone's in trouble, and they know our secret," she told him. He then sat up.

"Seriously?" panic was hidden in his voice.

………………………………………………………

"You wanted to talk?" Carlisle asked. It was early in the morning. The sun hadn't even risen yet.

"I had a vision," Alice started.

"Yes?"

"There was this man and woman. They went into this building, facing one of our kind. I think something's going to happen. They knew our secret. If something happens to them, our secret could be blown," Alice explained. Carlisle thought for a minute. To anyone he looked young. Thirties and thriving. He was born in Europe to a priest nearly four hundred years prior. His skin was flawless as was the rest of his family's skin. It was a characteristic of their kind. He looked Alice in the eye. Her eyes were black as coal. All of their eyes were. Another characteristic of their kind. Their teeth sharp. Their skin pale and unnaturally beautiful.

"What importance are they? I don't know if we should risk revealing ourselves to save them," he was as cautious as always. Her visions almost always happened as she saw them. He didn't want to reveal his family. That would cause uproar, and they would be hunted down. Imagine his kind actually living among humans _peacefully_. The thought to most people was unheard of.

"New York Detectives. If they die an unusual death, the whole city will be on a manhunt for whoever's responsible. You know what will happen if that happens," Alice muttered grimly. Chaos and panic would grip the city if it knew that they were actually out there. Monsters, they were called. Horror movies made about their kind. Falsities assumed about what people didn't know. Overreactions. They weren't the bad ones here. They couldn't let their secret out.

"Nothing good, I can assure you," Carlisle grimaced. He thought for another minute. They were outnumbered in this if there was more than one. Alice couldn't go by herself. He couldn't bring the entire Cullen clan. "Take Edward and Jasper with you. If you take Edward, then Bella will come too. Let her come. Heaven forbid that you need her in this." Alice nodded. The rest had to keep up with their jobs. Keep their true selves a secret. As if they didn't do what they did. Alice went up to tell who she needed to come. Carlisle thought for a moment about the consequences of this. Of telling another human what they were to save that said human. Monsters in their own right. Creatures of the night. _Vampires._

**A/N: Please review! I would love to know what you think whether you hate it, love it, or are indifferent. And they are always replied to with maybe a cyber cookie ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own either of them. Just borrowing for the sake of borrowing. Maybe I'll take Indiana Jones while I'm at it. He's hot. **

**Spoilers for all the Twilight books. I need it generic because I don't know where my writing takes me.**

**Notes: If you haven't realized by now, the vamps have special powers. Jasper can feel other people's emotions and change their emotions. Edward can read minds. Alice has visions. Bella can shield herself and others. Now science will meet the supernatural. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, put on your favorites list, and or put on story alert list. Like always, enjoy.**

**Thanks to lily moonlight for again helping me through this. And thanks to Blue Shadowdancer for reading. **

**Dawn's Early Light**

**Chapter 2**

Mac stood next to his partner in the morgue, looking at the young woman before them. Stella put her hand on his arm for support. "Mac, there was nothing you could do. She was dead when you got there. She was uncharacteristically cold when we found her for her to have died after you found her." She squeezed his arm. "It's not your fault."

"I know. I just can't get that image out of my head," he replayed that woman looking up at him over and over. There was something about her. Not in a 'wow, she's beautiful' way but in a 'I'm looking over my shoulder because I think someone is after me' way. The look that woman gave him was like an animal stalking its prey. He didn't venture his worries to Stella. She didn't need to be worried. Of course, there was still the matter of her not believing him. He knew what he saw, and he didn't need anyone to believe him. It might've helped to have someone believe him, especially Stella. If the sight of what happened hadn't affected him as it did, he would have laughed at the story. Where was the science?

"Hello," Sid's voice rang from behind them. They turned. Stella took her hand off his arm rather quickly. Mac glanced at her than back at the ME.

"What do you have for us?"

"Well, it's more of the lack of," Sid separated his glasses and connected them again so they rested on the bridge of his nose.

"Lack of what?" Stella brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. Mac knew the answer. He was there. He saw whatever that person was drinking from this woman. Drinking blood like a leech.

"Blood. She had no blood in her body. And I found these teeth marks on her arms," Sid showed them the marks and held up a mold he took. Stella took it, examining it closely. "So maybe a vampire?" Mac looked up.

"Sid, vampires do not exist," he told him adamantly. He almost doubted himself after what he had seen. _Science overrides the supernatural_, he told himself. _Vampires do not exist. You must've been seeing things_.

……………………………………………………..

"Jasper! We're landing soon," Alice told him. They didn't need to see into the future to know that. Behind them Edward and Bella sat chatting. Bella had grown more as a person, well not person, in the past year since she had been changed. Her skin was just as fair as Edward's was. She looked beautiful. Similar to Alice. It was just a trait of their kind. The four of them wore long clothing. The sunlight made their skin dazzle. Bella remembered that day in the meadow with Edward. She smiled at the warm memory. As the plane descended, the Cullens perked up. Time was of the essence now.

……………………………………………………….

"Mac, what're you thinking?" Stella was a bit concerned. He hadn't spoken for at least twenty minutes. Ever since they got back from the morgue actually. She sat next to him on his desk. He was leaning up against it, staring at the same page. Her question didn't even faze him. Mac just kept staring at the same page. The autopsy report. "Detective Taylor!" Still nothing. She hated when he would focus like that. "Mac Taylor!"

"What?!" he turned towards her. She finally got his attention.

"I asked you something. You know it's considerate to listen."

"Sorry, it's just that this murder is so supernatural. What if Sid's right?" that brought a hearty grin to Stella's face. He looked confused.

"Mac, come on, vampires?"

"No, I'm thinking a cult," Mac answered. "Is Adam running that swab Sid sent up?" Stella looked at him. Now that it was back to work, she stopped smiling.

"Which one?"

"The one from the bite marks," he sighed. He should have done something. The two of them failed to notice four young adults walking up to Mac's office. "Please tell me that you don't fail to notice the oddities about the case."

"I rely on the science," she breathed as if she didn't know whether loyalty or science would win. Her loyalty to Mac would make her believe that story even though it was farfetched. Her criminalist side waited on the science for answers. The battle going on was interrupted by a knock on the door. They looked to see the four fair skinned young adults come in.

"Come in," for the second time that day Mac brought a smile to Stella's face. It was one of those times when he was comfortable enough to show his sarcastic side. "Can I help you?"

"My name's Alice Cullen. This is Jasper, Edward, and Bella Cullen," she pointed to the appropriate person with each name.

"I'm Detective Taylor, and this is Detective Bonasera," Mac introduced himself and Stella while keeping a cautious attitude for this whole thing. He held his hand out to shake their hands. They didn't budge. He retracted his hand. "What can I do for you?"

"We know something about your killer," Alice told him.

"What do you know?"

"Can we not talk in here?" Edward spoke up for the first time.

"What's wrong with in here?" this time Stella chose to speak.

"We'd rather tell you this in a less opened space." Mac and Stella exchanged looks. He stood up. He gave Stella a look. _This could be an important lead, come on, Stell._ He missed a smirk plastered on Edwards face. Stella however took the apparent age of the quartet in front of them. None of them could be older than nineteen. _Fine, but you so owe me, Mac Taylor._ Edward heard the unspoken words in their minds. They told each other through their eyes. An unspoken language. Most times words weren't needed. Cases, maybe. Life, not really. She also stood up. Edward elaborated some more. "Like no windows." Mac nodded, thinking about a place in the lab.

"Yeah, we have a conference room," Mac finally said. He led the way, getting stopped by Danny in the hallway. Stella couldn't hear the conversation, but the four Cullens could. They were near the DNA lab.

"Mac, I got a hit on the Peterri case in CODIS," Danny handed him the file. The Peterri case had been haunting everyone for about a month. Mac breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, things were looking up for the CSIs working that case. Mac almost smiled, but he hesitated. It just couldn't be that easy.

"Take Lindsay and run with it," Mac told him. Danny murmured about ten thank you's before he left, taking the DNA report with him. Mac turned back at the others for them to keep going when he saw something in Jasper's eye that made him stop. It was the same look he had seen earlier that day. Jasper breathed one breath, and now that Mac thought about it, it was the first breath he had seen him take since he'd met him. The young man had a hungry look in his eyes. Stella caught up with Mac who looked questioningly at Jasper. Alice had a tight grip on him as did Edward. Bella looked under stress. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, the four at last followed them into the conference room. "What was that about?"

"We'll explain," Bella spoke up. "It has to do with what we want to tell you about the killer." Mac and Stella looked at each other.

"First, you'll think we're crazy, but you're in danger," Alice told Mac. _I'm in danger? A young woman died today because I did nothing!_ Mac had a dangerous look on his face.

"It wasn't your fault that she died," Edward told him. Mac turned to him, very surprised. He and Stella shared a look. Maybe it was coincidence that he guessed that, maybe it wasn't.

"He didn't say anything," Stella mumbled.

"I guess we'll start with that," Edward started. This was going to be hard to say. "Well, I can read thoughts." Mac and Stella looked at each other. They almost started laughing. It was just so absurd. _What do they take us for? We aren't idiots._ "Detective Bonasera, I don't think you two are idiots."

"I think we started in the wrong place," Alice said.

"Well, where should you guys start?" Mac snapped. They were wasting his time. Stella just gave him a look. He could really be impatient sometimes.

"First, we are…" Alice started.

"What?" Mac interrupted. Stella gave him another look. "What are you?" Maybe he thought they weren't going to answer.

"Vampires," she whispered. Mac and Stella again looked at each other. This was unbelievable. Stella wanted to laugh. Mac, however, saw some truth in it. Mac, the one who always looked to science first, was more lenient to believe the supernatural.

"That's not possible," Stella was adamant. Mac said nothing.

"Look, your boss believes this," Edward explained. _If I can even call Detective Taylor that, the way she thinks of him and looks at him. Don't know what to call him._ "Detective Taylor, you saw something today that science doesn't explain." Mac nodded slowly.

"Yes, I did," Mac told them. Maybe this would answer the question of what he saw.

"Vampires do exist. I can assure you," Alice told them after a long silence. She reached out and touched the top of Mac's hand. He shrank back. Her hand was cold. "That doesn't exactly prove anything, but we're colder than normal."

"And what your boss saw today was in fact a vampire feeding," Jasper explained calmly. The two detectives were dumbfounded.

"You mean someone or something was drinking that poor woman's blood?" Stella was disgusted. The thought of someone drinking blood was repulsive. She stepped back from the Cullens. Mac, however, stayed where he was.

"Yes, that's what we mean," Jasper was cautious with his way about this. Edward was studying the two detectives, reading their minds, really.

"Ms. Bonasera, I can assure you that you aren't hearing things. Yes, most vampires do drink human blood," Alice told her boldly. They had several decades on these two detectives. Bella was sure that Detective Taylor could see some sort of wisdom behind Edward's eyes. That maybe they were telling the truth.

"What about you guys?" Mac asked.

"What about us?" Bella was sheepish. She was still getting used to her powers. The transformation had been just over a year before.

"You four have had us in your control for over fifteen minutes, but you haven't done anything. And in the hallway with Jasper, what were you doing, Bella?" Mac asked. Stella smiled. _Typical Mac, not caring about danger just to get to the truth. He'll be the death of- well, not me- himself one day._

"I was shielding you two from Jasper. He has some trouble with our diet," Bella told him. Mainly, she shielded them from the emotions that would have flooded through the detectives. "He lived a long time on another diet. He's just getting adjusted to the change. You should thank Alice for him changing." It was safe to say that Mac and Stella were thoroughly confused.

"What diet?" Mac asked. "Like you guys drink blood and" he wasn't willing to finish that sentence. He felt Stella tense next to him. He looked back at her compassionately. He didn't know why he wasn't worrying. If these guys were for real, they could be killed at any moment. Then again, it might not be the best idea to kill the two lead CSIs in the crime lab.

"We're vegetarians," Mac and Stella looked at each other. Vegetarians? Were they serious? This was just unbelievable.

**A/N: What do you think? Reviews always welcome and replied to! Hope you have a fantastic day! XD**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or Twilight. Still a pity. But I do own Turner because as far as I know there is no vampire named Turner.**

**Spoilers for all Twilight books!**

**Notes: Vegetarians? Who am I kidding? Like always, enjoy. (Thank you for all reviews and favoriting!!)**

**Thanks to lily moonlight for reading and helping and Blue Shadowdancer for reading.**

**Dawn's Early Light**

**Chapter 3**

"Vegetarians?" Mac and Stella felt like they were being played for fools. Vegetarian vampires? This was just a little too convenient. They looked back at the Cullens. The people who were now defying basically everything the two scientists believed to be true.

"We find it revolting to… um… drink human blood," Alice murmured.

"Oh, _that_ makes sense," Stella answered. Mac didn't say anything, but he honestly agreed with Stella. He just couldn't verbalize it. He couldn't help but think of that woman he had seen. _Everything is connected_. But this couldn't be. Coincidence explained _everything_. In this case, nothing was connected. But that couldn't be either. His thoughts were too much for him.

"Animal blood sustains us just as well as human blood," sAlice explained. Mac found his eyes once again meeting Stella's. He breathed in what they were trying to tell him. Everything in him told him that it was outrageous and preposterous. But the look in that woman's eyes told him that maybe there was some truth in it. He just couldn't rest his whole decision on that. After all, where was the science?

………………………………………………………………………..

Adam worked furiously. This one was already starting to affect Mac like the Dobson case had. And the last thing Adam wanted was for Mac to lash out at him like he had done during the Dobson case. He looked over at Kendall who was working just as hard.

"Anything?"

"No," she muttered grimly. It was too early for any results to have come back. It was too early for almost anything.

"I'm getting the gene count, but it's not done yet," he sighed over-dramatically. Kendall flashed a smile at him.

"I'm _sure_ there will be _something_ with this DNA."

…………………………………………………………………………..

Mac thought for a minute before speaking. Actually he thought for several minutes. A clock ticked in the distance, but he, he didn't hear it. He was focusing on something. Words blended with memories at this point. Like an artist spreads pain across with a palette knife, it was like someone had mixed Alice's words and the scene from that morning. And what she had said last haunted him. _She's like an animal. Once she has your scent there's nothing you can do._ That, combined with the image of that woman with coal black eyes, troubled him more than anything even after all his years as a Marine.

"I'm sorry, but I can't just take your word for it. I need proof," he finally spoke. The Cullens looked at each other. They knew he'd say something along those lines. Edward was silently looking into the thoughts of the two detectives. Jasper didn't say anything. He concentrated on the emotions of the room. Bella looked down. Alice met Mac's gaze. She knew what the others were thinking. That it was a mistake to tell them because of the Volturi. They broke the rules. There would be consequences. Alice sighed. They had made a huge mistake. And if the Volturi were to find out, well, the Cullens would be 'taken care of.'

"We might've said too much," Bella thought out loud.

"What do you mean?" Stella didn't need to say it.

"The Volturi," Alice mumbled. The mood of the room changed as the two CSIs visibly saw the Cullens shudder, if only a little. Mac and Stella looked at each other as another invisible tick mark was added to the box score of how many times they had done that that day alone.

…………………………………………………………………..

"Sir, you asked for me?" a young man asked, kneeling down. An older man, though it couldn't be by more than a decade, turned and faced him. He had fire in his eyes and ice in his veins that chilled the very catacombs they stood in.

"You know the Cullens don't you?" his voice was laced with disgust at the thought of the family. His innermost being hated them. They had now twice broken the rules. Twice defied the Volturi. The first time it was forgotten since that certain mortal had been turned. But now two new people were told. Two fresh minds. They needed to be taken care of. Whether that meant killing them, the Volturi weren't decided on.

"I have heard of them," the young vampire told him. He sparked a fire in mid air, hovering above his hand. He twirled it until it became a circle, heat extending past his hand a good foot. He extinguished it quickly, knowing that Caius didn't like his time wasted by trivial things such as practicing skills. Caius Volturi was at least three thousand years old. He still kept youthful features. A human would've guessed that he was late twenties or at most thirty. Silence stilled all life in the room as Caius thought.

"Marcus is going with you," he was adamant and final. The younger one flashed fire in his eyes, but it stopped when he realized whose presence he was in. He bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"Okay, who should I go after first? The Cullens or Sapphira Tang?" the younger one wondered.

"The Cullens because Sapphira can wait. Then I want the humans taken care of. Use your imagination," Caius told him. The guard turned to walk away. "And, Turner, don't mess this up. You know what will happen if you do." Turner felt his throat go dry. He visibly shook, but he left the room. Marcus already knew that Caius would demand that this go according to plan. He followed Turner who stopped and turned around at another Volturi's presence.

"Marcus," he acknowledged his superior. "What're we going to do to the humans? I've heard they're detectives." The last thing he wanted was a witch hunt on him and the Volturi.

"We'll take care of them," Marcus snarled. He imagined the two detectives. Names: Mac and Stella. Relationship: Coworkers and friends to everyone else but maybe something else between themselves. NYPD cops. They couldn't make a mistake in this. But first, the Cullens needed to be dealt with, and that was a priority.

**A/N: Did y'all catch that? –coughforshadowingcough- Oh well you either got it or you didn't. Please review. They are always replied to. And I love to know what you guys think. And Happy Halloween. Fitting, eh?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or Twilight. Life is unfair like that.**

**Spoilers for all Twilight books!**

**Notes: Thank you so much for the reviews! You guys rock! And those who favorited thank you! **

**Thanks to lily moonlight for help and reading. Also thanks to Blue Shadowdancer for help and reading.**

**Dawn's Early Light **

**Chapter 4**

Wind swept through the open window. They didn't notice though. They stood in anticipation of what they knew would come. There wasn't a movement among them. Not a breath. Alice couldn't help but think of what Carlisle told her. _Take Edward and Jasper with you. If Edward comes, then Bella will come. Let her come. Heaven forbid that you need her in this._ She waited on baited breath (not that she even needed to breathe) for them to come. They all waited on baited breath. Bella bit her bottom lip with the thrill of the anticipation. Edward stayed perfectly still. He listened to the thoughts of the others around him, but everyone was on the same page. The door was opened silently.

"Cullens," a human would have scarcely heard it, but to them, the Cullens, they could hear it clear as day. What, no, _who_ they had been dreading had finally caught up with them. The Volturi were considered the 'vampire royalty.' They were the oldest known vampires, aging to be at least three thousand years old each. It was Marcus who came to meet them. And a new face with him. Young and no scars. His eyes were dark crimson. He must have been turned recently. The new vampire must have had a great amount of self control. But maybe that's just the way his eyes were. Monochrome red. Just like the blood he drank. The human blood he drank. He had coal black hair and a fair complexion. "Twice now." The Cullens looked at each other. _No time for hello._

"We had to," Alice rebutted instantaneously. The others were glad that she stepped up to be a spokesperson.

"You had to?"

"He's being hunted," she explained. "By Sapphira Tang."

"I am quite aware of that," Marcus argued. The Cullens knew there would be repercussions. Serious repercussions.

"Look, if they are killed, there will be a witch hunt for the killer. Think about it. New York detectives killed in an abnormal way. Marcus, they had to be told. We need to protect them," she was adamant. Marcus didn't fail to see her logic.

"That's not the point. This is the second time you've told a human," his eyes lingered on Bella who didn't break the shield she had formed against him.

"They won't tell. They don't even believe us," Alice was thinking on her feet.

"You broke the rules twice. You can't just going around telling anyone. You know what will have to happen to you and to them," Marcus glanced at his companion, and fire erupted in the room. The Cullens stayed protected by an invisible barrier. The young companion ignited more flames that hovered above the floor boards. Still nothing broke Bella's shield. "That's a neat trick." Another signal and the fire evaporated, leaving without a trace. "You will have repercussions. And the detectives will be turned."

"Won't that also add suspicion?" Bella asked.

"Shush," Marcus ordered. She fell silent, concentrating on the shield. "They'll be moved, of course. Excuses will be made. This is on you." He and his companion left the Cullens. Silence engulfed the four vampires.

"What do we do?" Bella was unsure. She was the newest vampire in the Cullen cove.

"Protect them," Jasper answered for his wife.

…………………………………………………………….

Mac went through his morning routine as if he was unfazed by what the Cullens told him. He saw some truth in it, but honestly it sounded like many stories he'd heard coming from people in this city. He sighed and looked around at his surroundings as he jogged past. _This city._ In a way, it was _his_ city. He kept it safe. Well, he tried. He spent every waking minute of his life protecting it. Day in and day out, he was in the lab doing his duty. Serving the public. Defending the badge against those who abused its power.

……………………………………………………………..

A figure watched him from above. The same figure he had seen the morning before. The same figure who had killed that woman. That poor woman. The vampire scoffed at the detective's compassion and guilt. She moved from building to building watching her prey, not knowing that she, herself, was being watched.

………………………………………………………………

Stella got up as she normally did. Her routine blended with her dreams. She had been through it so many times; she might as well have been asleep. Her dreams had involved vampires. _Fair skinned vampires hunting animals. Then it had changed. They were hunting people. Then a final change happened, and she found herself and Mac being hunted as they went through everyday life._ She shook it off. It was just a dream. And it was just because of the Cullens. Vampires didn't exist. But she knew that Mac was still deciding on that. She knew that he would stick to the science in the end. Whatever the case, Mac stuck to the science because science answered everything. She grabbed her car keys as she headed to breakfast and then to the lab.

…………………………………………………………….

He started on his way back. He would clean himself up and get to the lab early for shift _again_. He was only a couple of blocks from his apartment. His eyes wandered from the pavement to the alleyways. Memories of the day before flooded his eye sight. He blinked them away. Now wasn't the time to think about that. He focused back on the concrete and its impurities. The cracks and indentions. Leaf prints added for effect. He once again ignored the hard, grey ground as he thought he heard someone behind him. Stopping abruptly, Mac turned to his left and looked into the alley that encompassed the area. No one. He ventured in, if only a little. Ignoring the part of him telling him to keep going, he looked around; he was _certain_ he heard something. Darkness kept to the shadows that dawn's early light hadn't revealed. Boxes of scraps littered the ground. A movement in the corner of his eye. He turned. No one _again_. Then a sound like a cat landing on the ground reached his ears. He turned around and came face to face with the vampire who had killed the victim.

……………………………………………………….

Jasper took off after Sapphira Tang. He saw her disappear from the top of the building so he jumped after her. Landing as softly as a cat, he saw that she had cornered Mac. The detective was backing up slowly. Mac was cornered.

………………………………………………………

Stella sat thinking. Thinking about everything Mac had told her he had seen. Thinking about what the Cullens said. Thinking about the connections. Her cup of coffee now reduced to a few drops. She wanted to talk to Mac about this because there was a connection that she couldn't shake. Something was off. Dialing the numbers from memory, Stella called him.

……………………………………………………..

His phone rang, and his hand immediately went down to silence it. One meter before he was at the wall. There wasn't anywhere to go. He felt a similar pain breach him. Resisting it, he took a final step back before collapsing again. A scrap of metal scraped against his shirt, tearing it and tearing his skin. A single drop of blood was all that was needed to tip the scales in Sapphira's favor. He couldn't stop that single drop. He couldn't do anything until he regained consciousness.

……………………………………………………

After getting to his voicemail, Stella hung up. She would see him at shift. Looking at her watch, she knew that she would run late if she lingered. Traffic was a killer from the diner to the lab. She paid quickly, not hearing the same 'have a good day' as the waitress told every customer.

………………………………………………………..

Two thirsty vampires. One drop of blood and now two thirsty vampires. All Mac knew of was the cold blackness he was experiencing. The branch between consciousness and death. He was hovering in the middle. No control over anything. He couldn't see that Jasper and Sapphira were getting closer. Jasper, once smelling human blood, fell into the pattern he knew all too well. Forgetting his vegetarian ways, he and Sapphira were on one page now.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think... good or bad! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or Twilight.**

**Spoilers for all Twilight books!**

**Notes: Thank you for all previous reviews! You guys are way too kind!**

**Thanks to lily moonlight and Blue Shadowdancer for reading and help. **

**Dawn's Early Light**

**Chapter 5**

Stella looked down at her phone. He should've called her back. Of course he was probably in the middle of something at the lab, and she would see him there, she thought, assuring herself. A small hope that he was all right.

……………………………………………………

Two hearts beat in the alley. One's beat was irregularly fast, and the body housing the beat radiated heat widely. The other's body heat within him. A snarl erupted from the conscious being. He leapt forward between the vampires and the detective. It was two against one. Cold blood versus warm blood. He had to defend the man on the ground. He didn't know who he was, but it was his job to defend humans against those _parasites_. He let another snarl escape his mouth. He kept his teeth bared.

The two vampires looked at the animal. Glared actually. If vampires were capable of heat, he would have been a pile of ash. But the glower that should have been hot iced the canine over. Like a frozen statue, the wolf waited. Every muscle in his body was clenched. He waited for them to make the first move.

………………………………………………….

He drummed his fingers on the machine, waiting with baited breath as if he was watching the final pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning. Waiting for that walk-off homerun. But this wasn't a game winning hit. It was evidence. Important evidence as Mac had stressed. And Adam wasn't about to let him down. The steady sound of the ink cartridge traveling back and forth across the page rhapsodized with the sound of the drumming. A piercing beep stopped the beat as Adam strode over to the printer. Looking at the printed report, Adam's face fell. "This _can't_ be right."

…………………………………………………………

The sound of claws grating against concrete echoed in the alley. The scratching goaded the inner workings of the vampires. The scene turned quickly from the standstill it was at. The wolf felt an undeniable urge of bloodlust run through him. It was Jasper's doing. His emotions were channeling through the wolf like water through a pipe. He lunged forward knocking down Jasper. The other vampire, Sapphira, took a chance and went after her prey. The wolf turned around swiftly, clenching Sapphira's hand and pulling her away from the detective. She tore her hand away. The wolf found himself on the ground with two vampires bent on killing him. He had one thing left to do. If he was killed defending a perfect stranger, so be it, but the man on the ground would need to be avenged. A howl escaped the wolf's mouth as he picked himself up from the ground. _Help, Edward!_

…………………………………………………………………..

The sounds of the city should have distracted him. They should have broken his train of thought. But they failed to sidetrack him. The barks of dogs refused to faze him. It was _his_ howl that distracted him. _Help, Edward!_ His image became a blur as he rushed to the area he had heard the howl.

……………………………………………………………………

Adam looked at the three reports. Two were of the gene count from the DNA around the bite mark. The other was a report on the machine. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Anything?" Stella wasn't focusing on that. She had her phone in her hand, waiting for a call to come. She had gotten his voice mail, but something was off. She tried to shrug it off as just this case getting to her.

"I ran diagnostics on the machine. It's working perfectly," Adam was trying to keep calm. He didn't want either Mac or Stella upset with him. He handed her the gene count. "25 pairs of chromosomes. Whoever made this human bite mark wasn't human." Stella did a double take.

…………………………………………………………………...

He shoved Jasper up against the wall of the alley. The bricks cracked under the brute force. The wolf picked himself up off the ground, throwing himself at Sapphira. He was dragging her out of the alley. Away from her prey. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that help had come. Edward was forcing Jasper out of the alley, leaving the detective on the ground. The alley now consisted of one body with a heartbeat.

The sun's light uncovered the darkest areas of the alley. His mind was also cleared. Like a sheet being removed from a painting, the light withdrew the darkness. He was conscious _finally_.

………………………………………………………………………….

"And I've been looking at the saliva under the microscope. There's something else in it. It's not saliva."

"You sure?" this was not the time for Adam to be wrong.

"Positive," he answered her, hoping his voice held the confidence he was lacking. "It's a toxin. It's like a leech's saliva. It has an anesthetic and anticoagulant. Vampire?" Their eyes met, and Stella remembered the Cullens.

"Vampires don't exist," she told him adamantly. "Don't tell anyone these results." He was about to ask why not, but her cell interrupted him. "Bonasera."

"Stella."

"Mac?"

"Yeah, we need to talk," he told her. "Café on 7th." He hung up. They both knew where that was, having met each other there on several occasions.

……………………………………………………………………..

"They were right," he greeted her.

"Well, hello to you too," she mumbled. "Right about what?" He led her to a table in the corner where people couldn't hear their conversation. Past a busser as he scurried to clean off coffee mugs and plates covered in crumbs.

"The Cullens were right," Mac met her gaze.

"What happened this morning?"

"I really don't know, Stell. It was _her_."

"I believe you," she answered, opening the file she had with her. "Adam ran this twice and ran diagnostics on the machine. His results are accurate." Mac picked up the DNA report.

"Unbelievable," he said. This was actually true. The supernatural answer fit the scientific question. They continued to discuss the case oblivious to the fact that they were not out of danger yet. Somewhere in the city, Sapphira and Marcus were forming a pact. Somewhere in the city, the Cullens were regrouping.

…………………………………………………………………….

"What now?" the wolf, Jacob, asked. His breathing echoed in the silent apartment. Stiff breaths. Claustrophobic almost. Being with the Cullens did that to Jacob. And the empty apartment was stifling his breath.

"I don't know. I can't see anything," Alice was referring to her ability to foretell events. "I can't see, _dog_."

"No need to be this way," Bella intervened. "I guess we won't have much time. Sooner or later, Marcus is going to recruit Sapphira. I don't know how we'll be able to save them."

**A/N: So what'd you think? Please review! Also... have a fantastic day!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or Twilight. **

**Spoilers for all Twilight books!**

**Notes: THANK YOU for all your reviews! They really are a blessing.**

**Thanks to lily moonlight and Blue Shadowdancer for help and reading.**

**Dawn's Early Light**

**Chapter 6**

"You took a long time," she said without turning around. "Marcus, who's your friend?" The ageless vampire sighed, bored by this banter she was trying to start.

"You've been busy, Sapphira. You've left too many loose ends. This is one too many times," Marcus rolled his eyes. These kinds of things put him to sleep, if it was possible for him to sleep.

"You know you won't do anything. You want them dead. I want him. We both win if you let me have him, and we both know that you don't want me to cease to exist," she whispered, turning to him. His eyes darkened when he saw the fresh gash on her face. The young vampire at his side suddenly felt a curious urge to find out what had happened in their past. But ever the good guard, Turner stood motionless, listening to what they had to say. "And the Cullens are back. I bet you want to take care of them _personally_." Marcus grunted his agreement.

The room was silent for a moment. The two were deep in thought. "What do you think?" Marcus addressed his guard. The more the guard talked the more Marcus detected where Turner's loyalties lay.

"If the detectives know, the Cullens will be doing all they can to protect them. The best chance to get both is to lure the detectives with a body. The Cullens will be nearby and susceptible to attack," Turner's eyes darkened from the normal scarlet to a coal color.

"Smart. But there's still the shape shifter to worry about," Sapphira whispered.

"He'll be there," Marcus answered, knowingly. "Turner."

"Yes."

"I have a special assignment for you."

…………………………………………………………

Alice stood glaring at Jacob. She struggled to see a clear image. Like a climber struggles to reach that last hold. Sweating, the climber reaches for some chalk. His hand, now dry, scrapes for that hold. His fingertips graze the surface of the rock so Alice fought to see the future. She was denied access to what Fate had in store for the two detectives. Jasper breathed in and out (calmed down from his earlier fallback). He focused on his wife. He was keeping a calm demeanor, which he mirrored in the others. A door creaked open.

"Happy hunting," Edward mumbled as the vampires traded posts. Alice and Jasper left quickly. They would be back to see the sun rise above the city. Bella sighed.

"Jake, why were you in the city?" Bella asked suddenly. He avoided looking at Edward who was currently shooting him a death glare.

"I was worried about you." Still avoiding Edward's hazardous gaze, Jacob continued, "Carlisle told me. I think this is stupid."

"It doesn't matter now," Bella told him. "What's done is done, okay?"

"You didn't have to do this," Jacob stepped forward. "They'll kill us, you know?"

"Yeah, well, it's better than our secret being revealed to everyone," Bella whispered fiercely. "The Volturi weren't thinking with this. They're detectives. If they die, there will be a manhunt for whoever is responsible. We both know this."

"She's right," Edward's voice wavered from the threatening look he gave Jacob.

"So what now?" Jake relented.

"We stop them."

……………………………………………………………….

"Mac." The night was quiet. Even for a city as large as New York. The sounds of streets buzzing with cabs gone, replaced by the sounds of the occasional car passing by. The skyline illuminated with the halo cast from the iridescent glow of businesses. They still worked into the hours of the morning. Vampires or not. Time still ticked. Life still went on. Ignorance was bliss.

"Stella?"

"What're you thinking?"

"Honestly? I'm thinking that we should talk to the Cullens again."

"Same. Think we can find them?"

"For some reason, I feel that if we were to just keep walking, we'll find them." The wind drowned out the last of the sentence, rustling through the space between them. "You cold?"

"It's just the wind." That wasn't all truth. Two days ago, she woke up in a world where everything was explained by science. Now, vampires existed. Mac had been attacked twice. Her world had been turned on its head, testing everything she believed. Everything she _knew_ was true. "Where are we going?"

"The diner on 3rd might still be open."

"At midnight?"

"It's already midnight?" he chuckled and pulled her closer to him as they passed an alley. She decided to let it go, observing as he was attempting to brush off what had happened to him. Now the wind blew around them as they walked, circling then dissipating. Whirling leaves around as it past. Higher and higher they floated. Touching the sky and like the wind dissipating out of sight.

"It had to come sometime," she smiled as they ambled along, nearing their destination. She didn't feel like it was that early in the morning. Of course it was only just morning. The hours they lost floated somewhere in a continuum missed by some.

"You should go home," Mac finally told her. She laughed.

"What about the diner?"

"It's late, Stell," he told her. "You should get some sleep."

"The day you take your own advice," she trailed off as he didn't push it, and she had to admit it was nice getting him out of the lab if only for a while.

………………………………………………..

He blended into the surroundings. Natural. He followed his orders. Submission. He fed his thirst. Weakness. He watched as people led their lives, their ignorance to the world around them as their driving force. Pausing, he took the scent of his prey in, letting it travel to every inch of his granite body. A second glance and he stopped. A young child took the hand of his prey. Turner dared not attack her now. A cluster of people walked in his direction. Shifts were changing. People were going to work. Another scent filled him.

He lured her to the designated place. For a brief moment, the vampire imagined who the woman was and what family she had. But his hunger took over.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think, and reviews are always replied to! Have a fantastic day! XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Don't own either. If I did, I'd be very rich especially with the Twilight movie.**

**Spoilers for all Twilight books!**

**Notes: Thank you for all y'alls reviews and putting on favorites! You guys rock! **

**Thank you to lily moonlight for reading and helping a bunch with this one! **

**Dawn's Early Light**

**Chapter 7**

"I guess we'll just have to hold off on that conversation with the Cullens," Mac hit 'end' and pocketed his phone. He stood up, finishing the last of a formerly warm cup of coffee. "Flack called. There's another body. Same MO." She got up from the metal rimmed table.

"Think it was her?"

"Only one way to find out."

………………………………………………….

He was perched on the top of the warehouse, ready to kill. He breathed in the ocean air polluted with waste from this great city. He watched the cops secure the scene. The warehouse now empty. Marcus' plan in action. One by one the uniforms left until there were two left. Now Sapphira came into play.

He leapt down, feeling the cool air spiral around him. It felt so _natural_ against him. The one element he had yet to experiment with. _Air_. He had learned how to manipulate water after one trial with fire had turned horrible quickly. Turner never did quite get the hang of earth. It was not quite as natural. But this was all on his time. With the Volturi, he was used to destroying their enemies. _Fire_. But here, as he dropped to the ground, he wanted so very badly to experiment with this other element. But this thought quit once he landed gracefully on the cold ground.

The officer in front of him lacked the hearing to sense Turner behind him. The vampire glided inside the warehouse, glancing behind him just once to see the uniform collapse in pain. _Sapphira_. He slid over to the center of the storage room. Where _she_ was. The woman _he_ killed. _Why'd she have to die?_ Maybe it was this city. Maybe it was the Cullens. But Turner was softening up. He was almost feeling _sorry _for the woman whose body he moved. Maybe it was something about the woman's eyes.

………………………………………………….

"Where is everybody?" There were no uniforms. Flack was nowhere to be found. Something was amiss. She drew her weapon. He followed suit. Their kits forgotten. Car doors still open.

…………………………………………………..

"Alice," he answered her on the first ring.

"Where are they?"

"I don't know," Edward sighed. He should have known that this would happen. Marcus was making his move. They were caught unprepared.

"We're on our way. Go to the warehouse by the docks. The crime tape's gone. There's a car with doors open," Alice sounded strained. "That's how you'll know it's them. Hurry."

……………………………………………….

Nothing. There was nothing. No one to find. Nothing to see. Their guns were useless. Both knew it. Both refused to see that. Their hearts mimicked the same beat. They hesitated coming in. They knew what they were facing. They knew what would happen. Well, they thought they did.

……………………………………………….

A swift burst of wind. The only evidence of them. They hurried ahead of him. He surged into his new form. A snarl escaped from his muzzle as a warmth came over him. He lunged forward into the warehouse. Any heat in him quickly escaped at the sight he saw. Fire burned the heart of warehouse, surrounding Edward and Bella. He scanned the room for the culprit. The cause of the inferno. Finally he saw a fair skinned vampire concentrating. Jacob broke into a dash, lunging at Turner. Not to save the detectives. Not to save Edward. To save Bella.

……………………………………………..

He saw the wolf coming and only had time to quickly send a blazing sphere of fire in his direction. Jacob dodged it. Turner glanced at Sapphira who focused on her prey. The wolf used this opportunity to bring the vampire down. His concentration broke. The flames dissolved. Edward and Bella attacked Sapphira, bringing her down. The tide was turning. But the Cullens just did not _get_ it. Turner knew. Sapphira knew. The Volturi did not lose. There was always a backup plan. And they had just arrived.

………………………………………………..

The new vampires, four total, simultaneously arrived. The tide turned again. Where were Alice and Jasper? Time could not be wasted thinking of that. The trio, once having control, struggled to survive. Turner, seeing the new arrivals, mustered enough to blast the wolf off of him. He rolled once on the floor then jumped to his feet. Both let snarls escape. Turner, with the help of another vampire not known to him by name, took Jacob down. Just as he was going to lay the fiery fatal blow upon Jacob, his mood changed. Everyone stopped. The tide turned.

……………………………………………………

The mood sobered. Jasper was there. A laugh erupted from a corner.

"How _noble_," Marcus glanced at the fight melodramatically. He was being entertained by this whole thing. "How _courageous_." Edward gave Alice a look that said something along the lines of _You couldn't see _this_ coming?_ "Oh, well, go on and fight again," Marcus rolled his eyes. It was as if the switch was turned on. Jasper failed to control the onslaught of emotions stampeding towards him.

………………………………………………………

Turner watched as the fight ensued. Sapphira had abandoned the fight to finish her prey. He dodged an attack on him, focusing back on the task at hand. He concentrated a rush of fire at the wolf. The shape shifter groaned as he felt the full fury of the blaze. Regardless of the excruciating pain he felt, Jacob got back up, knowing he would be healed soon. For a moment, Turner faltered, amazed by the perseverance of the wolf. He must have had a real reason to fight.

………………………………………………………

He watched from afar, noticing the vulnerability of his guard. The tide was turning…

…………………………………………………..

He watched her purge her victim of his humanity. His loyalty, wavering as it was, now turned to the Cullens. Fire slashed through the air, separating Sapphira from the detective. The vegetarians, stunned by his actions, took it in stride as a morale booster. Turner's eyes narrowed at Sapphira.

…………………………………………………..

He put a stop to the fighting. His side had suffered grave losses. Sapphira, Turner, Lee, and Samuel had all been destroyed. Turner was the last. Destroyed in his own fire. The fighting ceased then. The Cullens and that wolf were no such fools to go after Marcus and so invoke the wrath of the Volturi _again_. "Until next time." He parted from them with the two remaining vampires.

……………………………………………………

Finally the veil came off of the detective's mind. She sat up, glancing around the room. The rumors of flames remained, whisking away into nothing more than memories. Thoughts imploded the memories as she knelt beside her partner, her friend. "Mac, come on, it's over." She felt for his pulse. It was slow. _Too_ slow. Facts filled her head. The number of heart beats per minute. The regulations for CPR. But it didn't matter. His beat was slow, and she had no idea how to get it back to normal.

**A/N: Hope you liked it. The next chapter is the last one. Please review! Have a great day! XD**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: For the last time, I do not own Twilight or CSI:NY. **

**Notes: Thanks for all y'all's reviews. Very kind. This is it, the end. If you haven't reviewed before now, there's still time. Like always, enjoy.**

**Dawn's Early Light**

**Chapter 8**

Months went by and she still thought of him. Every day actually. It pained her every time she was in his, now her, office. He was gone for good. The Mac Taylor she knew was dead. Long gone. Somewhere else. Living in a world of hate. For himself and what he had become. _Taylor: Dead and Loving It_ she chuckled at that thought. She hadn't heard him come in. She was not able to see him either. As Flack would say _he's sneaky like that._

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" a velvety voice surrounded her. "I'm not dead, you know."

"I know," she turned around. "So is that what you can do? Read minds?"

"No," he looked out of the window. The city glowed with the lights from cars and offices. He missed it. The people they put away for life. The elated feeling when he could sneer at the criminals when they realized that this was it. But he knew he could not return. She knew it. People would notice the change in him. "I just know you too well."

"So what can you do?" She regretted asking this. His eyes turned murky as he thought. His eyes. They changed greatly. His steel blue eyes now resembled a murky lake. So un-Mac.

"What happened in the warehouse, Stell?"

"You don't remember?" Stella turned to him slowly. Their eyes met. His fingers grazed her face.

"_What can you do?"_

"_Nothing, he's lost almost all of his blood. If we removed the venom, it'd kill him," Edward told her._

"_So nothing?"_

"_Yeah, this is saving him, if he makes it. Either way, he's dead," Alice spoke up._

"Stell, I wish…" he trailed off.

"I know, Mac, I know. I know that you wish this case had never happened. I know that you wish you were dead. I know," her voice was soft, but he could hear it as loud as ever. He could hear her heart beat. It drove into him like a knife. His throat burned being next to her. Like the very fires of hell. Scorching him. Drying out the echoes of the veins he had. Scraping his inner being. Breathing refused to be of help. He had no need for it.

"Stell, I couldn't have stayed. You know that." This time he found her hand in his. Her hand uncomfortably warm squeezes his. He did nothing in response. Not because of differing feelings, but one wrong move and he could hurt her. Crush her. He stepped back.

"I can't," he told her. "I won't." His air supply spent, he breathed in scorching air. It evaporated the inner chasms that made up his stone body. It was like the most delicious taste he had ever experienced, and he loathed it. The feeling should have evaporated. Like he tried to do every time he thought of her. He had forever to live, but it wasn't much without her. But he couldn't bear for her to be in this situation. He hated every moment without his beating heart. Without his memories. Without his humanity. And now he wondered why he even came. "I need you to understand."

"Mac, if there's one thing I always have done, it's being able to understand, but what about the team?" he couldn't miss the hurt in her voice.

"I'm dead, Stell. They would notice the difference in me. And you, you're obviously mad at me."

"I'm not mad, well, not at you, Mac. I'm mad because you left. Why'd you go? What about _Semper Fi_?"

"I never wanted to leave. I _had _to. If I could've, I would've stayed," he told her. "For you." _When you have forever, why not take a chance? You spent too long not saying anything before._ He tried to meet her eyes, but she looked away. He thought about the little details of the scheme they pulled. Faking his death. They worked hard to hide this. Sid was told some details as to why he could not perform the autopsy. He was told that Mac was not dead, but this was necessary. Also, Sid was sworn to secrecy. A Dr. Carlisle Cullen was brought in for the autopsy or so the team was led to believe. Such a detailed cover-up.

"What's it like?"

"Being a vampire? Terrible."

"No, being the hero."

"What if I'm not the hero? What if I'm the villain?"

"Every kid wants super powers, Mac. You have them."

"Every kid wants to grow up happy. I was."

"You can still be happy." This time she met his gaze. Even as different they always had been and still were, they found solace in each other. He left his hand on her cheek as dozens of images breezed through his mind, but he ignored them, pushed them to the back of his mind. There was only one figure he could see, and she was in front of him. Her pulse rushed through him like an electric charge. Her warmth charged his being. For some reason, she stayed still under his cool touch. She mirrored him as he leaned in. Finally, she shared some of the visions he saw. Blurry but still there.

"_It amazes me how people with higher education can commit such idiotic crimes," he joked._

"_So you've been looking through my case files again? Seems like the only cases I get."_

"_Well, you did a great job, and it's been a while since we've had dinner together so…" _

"_I'd love to."_

His levee broke and experiences flooded his head.

_She slammed the case file down on her desk and looked at the city. It wasn't even the case that got to her. It was him. He left her. Here. Without him. Alone. All she could think of was what happened in the warehouse. She felt that it was her fault what happened to him. But she knew that was false. But she was unable to shake that feeling._

He moved back. "It wasn't your fault, Stell." She looked at him.

"I know." Now, all he wanted was to kiss her again. But it was just _wrong_. He could _hurt_ her. He was hurting himself. And he did not want to care. But it still was not right. And he would never wish this life on her.

"Are you going to stay?" There was desperation there in her voice. He weighed the options. If he left, he would be saving her from him, but he would regret leaving her for forever. But if he stayed, he could hurt her, but he'd be with her.

**A/N: That's it. It ends that way. It's like **_**The Lady or the Tiger**_**. It's up to you how it ends. Does he stay or does he go? Please review (and don't kill me)! Have a fantastic day! XD**


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